Monday, April 1, 2013

News 4.1.2013

* Dozens of international experts have approached the Czech environment
minister over a controversial bill on the Sumava National Park.

* Czech troops have begun a military training mission in Mali.

* Several changes to the health care system come into effect on Monday,
including the legalization of medical marihuana.

* Fresh snow has disrupted traffic in eastern Czech Republic.

* Some 30,000 in Prague have been left without running water after a
water-pipe burst.

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International experts protest against new bill on Sumava
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Several dozens international experts have approached the Czech
environment minister, Tomas Chalupa, over a controversial bill on the
Sumava National Park, the news website idnes.cz reported on Monday. The
signatories of the letter, which include heads of national parts in
Austria, Italy and Switzerland, as well as university professors and
other experts from Germany, Poland, Portugal, and other countries, warn
against the planned removal of the strictest level of protection from
some of the core parts of the Sumava National Park. The letter had
reportedly arrived at the ministry at the end of last year. The bill
has also come under criticism from Czech wildlife experts

The Czech army on Monday began a military training mission in Mali, as
part of an EU mission to the West African country. In the first stage,
34 Czech troops will guard an army base in the capital Bamaku before
taking part in a training programme for the Malian military. Their
mission is expected to last 15 months; most Czech troops participating
in the mission are from the 43rd Airborne Battalion in Chrudim which
has gone through missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and other places.

Several changes to the health care system come into effect on Monday,
April 1. Medical marihuana is now legally available in the Czech
Republic for patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's
disease, and other serious conditions. They will be able to get
electronic prescriptions for cannabis from their doctors. All medical
marihuana will be imported; the authorities will only allow Czech firms
to grow medical marihuana in a year's time. The changes to the health
care system also include a new regulation of organs transplantations;
Czech patients can now receive organs from foreign nationals who die in
the Czech Republic.

Snow on Monday continues to disrupt traffic in parts of the Czech
Republic. Some roads in the northeastern Moravian-Silesian region are
covered with ice; however, most major roads and motorways have been
cleared. Bad weather has also caused problems on the rail where several
local routes had to be closed for traffic. The police have registered
dozens of car accidents over the last 48 hours; more problems are
expected later on Easter Monday when many people are returning home
from family visits.

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30,000 people in Prague left without running water
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Some 30,000 people in Prague have been left without running water after
a water pipe burst on Sunday afternoon. The affected area includes the
districts of Hostivar and Zahradni mesto. The authorities have provided
the inhabitants cisterns with drinking water which is however running
out. The repairs are expected to last until Monday night.

Many Czechs, especially in Moravia, practice traditional customs on
Easter Monday, a public holiday in the Czech Republic. One of the most
popular customs includes the whipping of girls and women with special
whips made of willow branches; this, some believe, bestows beauty and
health on them for the next year. In return, the men receive coloured
eggs.

Wherever you are in the Northern Hemisphere, it is likely that sometime
around now you are marking one of the dozens of religious or cultural
holidays that celebrates the beginning of spring. In this year's Easter
Monday special, we look at the ancient origins some of the peculiar
traditions and trappings of the Czech spring celebration.

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